Thigh-guard.



e L. PIERCE.

THIGH GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.20,19I5.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

; run STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. PIERCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALIDING &BROS, I OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY .THIGH-GUARD.

Application filed January 20, 1915.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Thigh- Guards, of whichthe following is a specification.

I This invention relates to guards intendedprimarily for use by athletesin activecompetition for protecting the thlgh, shin or other portion ofthe body.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide in a single unitarystructure a guard which shall include a strong and yet light frame toreceive the direct shock of blows, cushioning means to absorb the shock,ln'acing means for the frame and means for protecting the frame againstthe deleterlous effects of perspiration.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less broad than thosestated above, together with the advantages inherent, will be in partobvious and in part specifically referred to in the course of thefollowing description of the elements, combinations, arrangements ofparts, and applications of principles constituting the invention; andthe scope of protection contemplated will appear from the claims;

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as part of thisspecification, and in which I have shown a merely preferred form ofembodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is an elevation showing one of myguards in place upon the person; Fig.2 is an elevation looking at theother side of the guard from that shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is asectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of thearrows.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 4 indicates the outsidemember of the guard which is preferably of fiber board or the likematerial, cut to size, and while in a softened or plastic condition bentto substantially the half roundshape shown. that is to say, transverselyconcaved to fit the member for whose protection it is designed. To bracethe outside member or frame 4 I employ a band of steel 5 or the likepreferably resilient metal bent to the form illustrated, and the frame 4may be given its Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Serial No. 3,204.

mediate the ends thereof. I deem it of considerable importance that thesteel band or brace 5 is located upon the concave surface of the frame 4rather than upon the outer face thereof, for the reason that if thebrace were uponthe outer face a blow upon the outer surface of .theframe might tear the frame loose from the brace, while with the brace onthe inside there is no possibility of such a thing occurring. The steelbrace 5 and the entire inner surface of the frame 4 are covered overwith a piece of waterproofed material indicated by the numeral 7. Thepurpose of this covering is to prevent perspiration from reaching. thefiber board frame and thereby softening the same; and incidentally thewaterproofed for the outside in order to hide the brace.

By locating the brace upon the inside of the frame I accomplish not onlythe structural advantage before referred to whereby the separation ofthe frame and brace by a blow upon the frame is avoided, but also makeit possible to cover both the frame and the brace with one covering.

In order to absorb the shock of a blow delivered upon the frame I preferto secure on the interior marginal edge portions of the frame a cushionof felt or other suitable material indicated by the numeral 8, whichcushion is in the form of a strip substantially following the edges ofthe frame, leaving the remainder of the inner surface of the frameuncovered, and projecting beyond the edge of the frame. The purpose ofthis projection is to prevent the edge of the frame 4 from being pressedangularly against the leg or other member to which the guardis applied.I may also provide apertures 9 at the ends of the frame extendingthrough the outer frame 4 and through the cushion member 8, so that theguard may be secured in place, as by means of laces 10 fastened to theouter garments of from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It isalso to be understood that the language used in the following claims isintended to cover all the generic and specific features of the inventionherein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which,as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A guard for the purpose described, comprising an outside member orframe of fiber board or the like material, and of substantiallyhalf'round shape, a cushion secured to the inner marginal edge portionsof the frame, projecting appreciably beyond the edge, and a metal bracesecured transversely of the frame and bent to correspond t0 the curve ofthe frame.

2. A guard for the purpose described. comprising an outside member offiber board 01' the like material and of substantially half round shape,'a metallic brace bent to conform to the inner curve of the frame andsecured transversely thereof on the inside of the frame, and awaterproof covering overlying the inner surface of the frame and thebrace.

3. A guard for the purpose described, comprising an outside member orframe of fiber board or the like material and of substantially halfround shape, a metallic brace secured to the inner surface of the frametransversely thereof, a covering of waterproof material overlying theinner surface of the frame and the brace, and a cushion secured to theinner marginal edge portions of the frame and projecting appreciablybeyond the edge.

i. A guard for the purpose described, comprising an outside member orframe of fiber board or the like material and of substantially halfround shape, a metallic brace secured to the inner surface of the frametransversely thereof, a covering of waterproof material overlying theinner surface of the frame and the brace, and a cushion secured to theinner marginal edge portions of the frame and projecting appreciablybeyond the edge, apertures being provided in the frame to accommodatelacings for holding the guard in place.

A guard for the purpose described, comprising a comparatively rigidoutside member or frame of fiber board or the like material and ofsubstantially half round shape, a metallic brace bent to conform to theinner curve of the frame and secured transversely thereof on the insideof the fame, and a strip of cushioning material secured to the innermarginal edge portions of the frame and projecting appreciably be yondthe edge, leaving the inner surface of the frame uncovered except atsuch marginal edge portions.

0. A guard for the purpose described, comprising a comparatively rigidoutside member or frame of fiber board or the like material and ofsubstantially half round shape, and a metallic brace secured to theinner surface of the frame transversely thereof.

7. A guard for the purpose described, comprising a comparatively rigidoutside member or frame of fiber board or the like material and ofsubstantially half round shape, and a strip of cushioning materialsecured to the inner marginal edge portions of the frame and projectingappreciably beyond the edge, leaving the inner surface of the frameuncovered except at such margin-a1 edge portions.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses;

GEORGE L. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

FREDERIC E. HOWARD, HOWARD M. PIERCE.

